Without Realizing It, These 5 Ways Are Often Done To Cover Up Anxiety

Illustration of defense mechanisms to cover anxiety (Pexels/Burst)

JAKARTA – Anxiety is often present when reality does not work as it should. Anxiety, according to Freud, is an unpleasant inner state that people try to avoid.

A person's ego, reported by Verywellmind, according to Freud tries to overcome wants, needs, and impulses. While on the same side faced with an ideal and moral.

Between ego, desire, and something ideal often do not go hand in hand. Well, self-defense mechanisms are carried out to cover anxiety.

Then Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna Freud and other researchers explained about what defense mechanisms the ego uses to fulfill what it wants and how it is considered ideal, here is a list of some of them.

1. Displacement

Displacement is done to relieve frustration and anxiety in people or objects that are less threatening. Have you ever had a bad day at work and then came home looking for something to do?

Sometimes, a person swallows more disappointment or anger without expressing it because they do not want to suffer negative consequences. Worse, expressions of anger and disappointment are vented on objects or parties that are not related to the cause of anger.

2. Disclaimer

Denial is one of the most common defense mechanisms. Known as denial, it is often expressed to describe a situation of reality that cannot be clearly accepted or acknowledged.

For example, an alcoholic often denies that they have a problem. On the other hand, victims of a traumatic event may deny that the event ever happened.

While denial can save a person from anxiety and pain, it consumes a lot of energy and is uncomfortable.

3. Repression and suppression

Oppression and self-emphasis is certainly suffocating. Oppression or repression acts to guard information with awareness. Past information, memories, are not lost but continue to influence behavior.

For example, a person suppresses memories of abuse that have been experienced and affects their relationships with other people.

Suppression is done consciously to save memories that do not want to be revealed. But unconsciously, it triggers anxiety.

4. Sublimation

Sublimation in psychology is a possible defense mechanism to expel an unacceptable impulse by changing it into a more acceptable form. For example, expressing anger with exercise.

Freud, in the defense mechanism of sublimation, believed that this was a sign of maturity for his emotions to be socially acceptable.

5. Projection

The defense mechanism with projection works by discouraging the expression of desires or impulses, but in a way that is not recognized by the ego so as to reduce anxiety.

For example, if you hate someone, you may believe that they don't like you. Projection involves our own feelings that others have as well.

Have you ever overcome anxiety by using one of the defense mechanisms above? Defense mechanisms, on the one hand can be good but can also worsen mental health.